Gas tank cap lock



H. REKONTY 1,987,540

GAS TANK CAP LOCK Original Filed July 6, 1952 Jan. 8, 1935.

ATTOR N EY Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Application July 6, 1932, Serial No. 621,115 Renewed April 9, 1934 1 Claim.

The object of this, my present invention, is the provision of a means for locking a cap upon the filler spout of the gasoline tank of an automobile or the like so that the cap can be removed only by the holder of the operating key for the lock, and whereby the cap is not only held rigidly positioned but the theft of gasoline from the tank is prevented.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device for this purpose that is characterized by simplicity in construction and reliability in practical use.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cap for a gasoline or like tank equipped with the improvement.

Figure 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the rear end portion of the throw bolt.

Referring now to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the filler spout for a gasoline tank of an automobile or the like. The spout has its mouth provided with the usual inwardly directed ring flange 2 that at diametrically opposite points is cut-away or notched, as at 3. These notches 3 are designed to receive therethrough the spring fingers 4 that are carried by the usual caps for the filler spout. After the fingers are passed through the notches the cap is revolved to bring the said fingers away from the notches and into tight frictional engagement with the under face of the ring flange 2 in the usual manner.

The cap 5 disclosed by the drawing comprises a hollow member made up of an outer concavo convex shell and an inner disc which are suitably connected together. The inner member of the cap is provided with an annular inwardly depressed portion 6 in which is seated the cork or like gasket 7 that contacts with the mouth of the spout 1, and the central portion of the spring fingers 4 is secured to or adjacent the center of the said inner face of the cap. This portion of the cap is provided with an opening for the reception of a round stem 8 on a headed member 9. The member 9 may be kerfed, slotted, formed with other depressions or fingers to be engaged by a key of any desired type, and the key passes through a rotatably mounted and headed member 10 at the center of the outer element of the cap. The stem 8 has its end secured to a block or like element 11, and to the outer face and adjacent to one of the corners of the block there is pivoted, as at 12, a throw bolt 13, the latter having a suitable transverse slot as a clearance for the pivot 12 to allow for its circular movement without turning the throw bolt. The outer end of the bolt 13 is arranged at an upward angle, as indicated by the character 15, and this angle portion as well as a portion of the bolt proper is provided with a slot 16. Depending from and secured to the inner element of the cap 5 there is a pin or stud 1'7 that is received through the slot 16 and serves as a guide for the bolt.

The key is operated to turn the block 11 to bring the bolt 13 to its retracted position as disclosed by the dotted line in Figure 2 of the drawing. This permits of the cap being arranged on the spout 1, as the spring fingers 4 may pass through the notches 13 in the ring flange 2. The cap is turned on the filler spout for a predetermined distance which may be indicated by marks on both the cap and filler spout. This turning of the cap is designed to bring the bolt opposite one of the notches 3, so that when the bolt is thrown the angle end thereof will be received in the said notch which will prevent the turning of the cap and consequently the locking of the cap on the filler spout. The key is withdrawn when the cap is thus locked but is again employed to retract the bolt to permit of the cap being turned on the filler spout to bring the spring fingers 4 in a line with the notches when the cap is to be removed for the filling of the tank.

It is believed that after the foregoing has been carefully read in connection with the drawing the simplicity and advantages of my construction will be understood. and appreciated I by those skilled in the art to which such invention relates but obviously I do not wish to be restricted to the details of construction as herein illustrated and described and hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A gas tank cap lock for a filler spout provided With an inwardly directed notched flange comprising a hollow cap body having an annular reduced portion for acconmiodating the spout, a spring arm on the cap body to be received through the notches in the flange and frictionally contact with the inner wall thereof when the cap is turned, a headed stem journaled centrally on the cap, a block member fixedly secured to the stem, a slidable bolt eccentrically pivoted to the block member and having an outer annular slotted end, a pin extending from the cap and received in the slot in the bolt, and a rotatable key receiving member accessible from without the cap and operative for moving the sliding bolt into one notch when the spring finger is moved beneath the said flange.

HARRY REKONTY. 

